In a message to contributors, Thomas revealed that he has now completed a first script of the film, which will see Kristen Bell reprise the role of Veronica.

"There's a lot of work left to do, but it's a movie I can't wait to make," Thomas said. "I think it's also the movie you've been waiting to see."

The Kickstarter campaign launched with a target budget of $2m, ultimately raising over $4.5m, but Thomas urged fans to continue contributing to the fund.

"$2 million was our minimum goal," he explained. "It would be enough to get a movie made, but it was never going to let us make the exact movie we really wanted to make, or the one we know you deserve.

"We're at $4.5 million now. That's a lot of money. But for a feature length movie, it's still a pretty conservative budget."